Back from my Angiogram, Hospitals and APAP's

I am living proof if one does not become an advocate for one's own health then we're all in for trouble. I have had my catheterization, and after about 2 yrs of constant complaining (female to male doctors) the eyes glazed and ignored is about what I had. I had a 100% right coronary occlusion requiring 2 stents.
Blaming it on sleep apnea and my diabetes was minor. So now I am recuperating. My previous blood works to 2 diff docs showed elevations in certain enzymes, but once again, IT"S YOUR DIABETES. So I guess if one has a headache, footache or any other problem, let's sweep it away with generalizations and general apathy by the med. profession. Well now they'll be so darn nice and soliticious it'll be sickening.

But interesting story was I brought my apap to the hospital as I had to stay overnight once I was angioplastied. The staff was interested in my machine,
but the best part, was the previous person who was in my room, forgot HIS Bipap, and they thought my Apap was his. Luckily I said no, this is mine, and they finally found his but I thought it most interesting that more and more users are out there fending for their own health.

My motto has become, if you don't feel ''right'' check it out, and if we don't like one doc, move on. My pushing for the thallium stress test and subsequent discovery of my blockage, saved my life. Advocate for yourself, no one else will. And women out there, coronary artery disease presents differently, my cardiologist said to come back in three months. With my blockage, I'd be taking a dirt nap forever.

Do what we all can, say our prayers and be informed.

Thanks for all good wishes and prayers, they are most appreciated!

Hey GZ
I know exactly what you're talking about, back in April I was feeling kinda funny at work, and wasn't sure what to do so I told one of my co workers and I was immediately shipped off to the ER. Well they kept me over night and my Quack Doc discharged me. I was getting dressed and ready to leave when I started feelin' funny again, and the debate was on should I say something and risk bein' put back in or just let it go and get out of there. Well fortunately I was smart enough to say something and the next day they did a Heart Cath and found 70 percent blockage shipped me to another Hospital and had a stent put in. As soon as I got out of the hospital I fired the Quack got a new Doc and she started asking alot of questions which lead her to believe I might have OSA. Alot of this stuff I had previously told the Quack and he just blew it off!!!!!! My point is that you've got to stand up for yourself, the Docs aren't always right you know your body better then anyone and if something is wrong you've got to push til it's taken care of. I still have people laugh at me when I tell them I have sleep apnea, they think it's all in my head, well who's gonna be laughing in 20-30 years?!!!!!! STEP, STEP well now I'm down off my soapbox and curious to see what everyone else has to say!!!!!
Later
Roger

Roger, Gailzee...you both said it so well!! Glad to hear that both of you pushed and shoved your way to treatment - both cardiac-wise and OSA-wise.

Gail, so good to see your feisty posts again. Keep taking care of yourself! You too, Rog!!

The head bobbin' cardiologist says "OH YES, SA is a serious problem", it's very good you use ''that'' machine. But smilin' the wh ole time, makes me think I'm a hypochondriac neurotic menopausal female (partly true), but the ole 100% blockage, sure put me in the fast track lane to agreement on their part. I have called my PCP and luckily for HIM, he's away for 2 wks. well won't he be surprised. But the cardio's are at least acting interested in SA, and therapies for sleep apnea.......

Boy, you can get the feeling you're swimming upstream with these doctors.

I at least, got the cardio, to admit that women present differently with heart, than men.

To Roger, I say good thing your gut instincts was to follow through. I s so often wonder, how many needless deaths/debilitating illnesses are untreated due to SA.

Maybe we should start a poll? Dr. experiences? We'd probably clog up the server with complaints if my story or yours, Roger, is an indication.

Keep on fighting, I am.......no matter how much !@@$& gets thrown my way. I am determined to prove them wrong and me right.

RG, good as always to hear and thanks.............from you............

rested gal wrote:Roger, Gailzee...you both said it so well!! Glad to hear that both of you pushed and shoved your way to treatment - both cardiac-wise and OSA-wise.

Gail, so good to see your feisty posts again. Keep taking care of yourself! You too, Rog!!

Roger and GZ...

So glad to hear that you were able to wsuccessfully advocate for yourselves and get the treatment you needed! (And glad to see you back again GZ!!!)

As to Dr. problems, that is one of the main topics on any post-polio line. Supposedly polio was "eradicated" by the vaccines back in the 50's. They don't even teach anything about polio in the medical schools. As a result Dr.s are completely ignorant of post-polio syndrome (many will tell you to your face that they "don't believe in it"!!) For years -decades - we have been sent to psychiatrists and pain clinics and labeled as wimpy, whiny, lazy hypochondriacs, all the while pushing our bodies beyond what they were actually capable of and sublimating the pain. I could go on for days on this topic and on Dr's deliberately practicing CYOB in their records. And to add to the problem, the massive population dealing with PPS is finite. Once the vaccines took over there were no more epidemics - and no more polio survivors. So when the present population - the youngest of the masses of us in our 50's & early 60's - die, PPS will be extremely rare, at least in developed countries. So medical schools have little incentive to rearrange their curricula to include polio and PPS.

I could go on for days.....

But he left his BiPAP there??? Yikes!!!

- JB

My friend had polio in the 40's, he was back to wearing his leg brace...........................
Thanks for the ''welcome'' back. Now even my 1/2 hour cat naps I hook up to my apap.

Luckily for the gentleman in the room before me, that they ha bagged up his bipap and had stored it. They actually asked me if I was using his MACHINE? ugh.......whew..................shows you they don't know much about one using someone else's ''stuff''.

Nice to be back...........thanks[quote="ahujudybear"]Roger and GZ...

So glad to hear that you were able to wsuccessfully advocate for yourselves and get the treatment you needed! (And glad to see you back again GZ!!!)

As to Dr. problems, that is one of the main topics on any post-polio line. Supposedly polio was "eradicated" by the vaccines back in the 50's. They don't even teach anything about polio in the medical schools. As a result Dr.s are completely ignorant of post-polio syndrome (many will tell you to your face that they "don't believe in it"!!) For years -decades - we have been sent to psychiatrists and pain clinics and labeled as wimpy, whiny, lazy hypochondriacs, all the while pushing our bodies beyond what they were actually capable of and sublimating the pain. I could go on for days on this topic and on Dr's deliberately practicing CYOB in their records. And to add to the problem, the massive population dealing with PPS is finite. Once the vaccines took over there were no more epidemics - and no more polio survivors. So when the present population - the youngest of the masses of us in our 50's & early 60's - die, PPS will be extremely rare, at least in developed countries. So medical schools have little incentive to rearrange their curricula to include polio and PPS.

I could go on for days.....

But he left his BiPAP there??? Yikes!!!

- JB